Editorial Board Guest Author

Mr. Wilhelmsen

Kevin Wilhelmsen

Dean, University of Phoenix School of Business

Kevin Wilhelmsen is the program dean and faculty member for University of Phoenix School of Business. In this role, he is responsible for the development of industry-aligned curriculum, assessment of student learning outcomes, faculty scholarship and academic policy development.
He regularly engages industry associations and employers to inform the University’s curriculum and chairs the Business and Industry Relations Committee for the Accreditation Council for Business Schools and Programs, a global business accreditation association.
Mr. Wilhelmsen leads the development of a portfolio of academic programs in industries including hospitality, retail and financial services. He recently worked with the American Hotel & Lodging Educational Institute to develop an industry-aligned associate degree and certificate program in Hospitality Fundamentals.
Mr. Wilhelmsen holds a Master of Business Administration from University of Phoenix and a Bachelor of Science in Business Administration from the University of Arizona. He regularly authors research articles for the Accreditation Council for Business Schools and Programs (ACBSP) and is a site team evaluator for the organization.

Human Resources: Value Creation

Businesses must evolve to stay competitive and this is also true of employment positions within those organizations. In the hotel industry, for example, the role that HR professionals perform continues to broaden and expand. Today, they are generally responsible for five key areas - government compliance; payroll and benefits; employee acquisition and retention; training and development; and organizational structure and culture. In this enlarged capacity, HR professionals are no longer seen as part of an administrative cost center, but rather as a member of the leadership team that creates strategic value within their organization. HR professionals help to define company policies and plans; enact and enforce systems of accountability; and utilize definable metrics to measure and justify outcomes. Of course, there are always new issues for HR professionals to address. Though seemingly safe for the moment, will the Affordable Care Act ultimately be repealed and replaced and, if so, what will the ramifications be? There are issues pertaining to Millennials in the workforce and women in leadership roles, as well as determining the appropriate use of social media within the organization. There are new onboarding processes and e-learning training platforms to evaluate, in addition to keeping abreast of political issues like the minimum wage hike movement, or the re-evaluation of overtime rules. Finally, there are genuine immigration and deportation issues that affect HR professionals, especially if they are located in Dreamer Cities, or employ a workforce that could be adversely impacted by federal government policies. The March Hotel Business Review will take a look at some of the issues, strategies and techniques that HR professionals are employing to create and sustain value in their organization.